Countdown to Disney Fantasy

The new show Wishes rounds out the exclusive features onboard and anticipates the ship's inaugural sailing.

A Mockup of Disney Fantasy's Bow

The Disney Fantasy's maiden voyage on March 31, 2012 is fast approaching. All the building blocks of the ship are in place, and final outfitting is under way.

Just days ago the ship's repertoire of main production shows was made complete with the announcement of the new show, Wishes, and with it, the Fantasy and its expanse of exclusive new features are taking fantastical shape.

Joining the previously announced production shows, Disney's Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular and Disney's Believe, Wishes marks a fresh addition to the collection of unique entertainment to be offered during the Fantasy's longer seven-day voyages. The new show focuses on three best friends facing high school graduation who come to realize that the key to being a grown-up is continuing to be a kid-at-heart. A Disneyland celebration acts as the opening setting as the friends, uncertain of what the future holds, wish to take the "Ride of Our Lives," one of the production's original songs.

Granting their wish, the show expands to include numbers based on Disney's classic and contemporary characters like Pinocchio, Hercules, Timon, Pumbaa, and also Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from Disney's latest animated film, Tangled. Following a diverse set of songs including "I Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book, "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid, and "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio, the show concludes with the best friends reveling in their journey to the final track, "Breakthrough," from the Disney Channel movie, Lemonade Mouth. The entire 45-minute show, wrapped up with an indoor fireworks finale, will debut exclusively onboard the Disney Fantasy.

The Fantasy will also run Disney's Believe, which debuted on the Disney Dream, telling the story of a father who revives his relationship with his daughter through Disney magic. Brand new along with Wishes is Disney's Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, exploring the "street rat's" genie-granted journey from Agrabah to high in the sky with Princess Jasmine on a magic carpet ride.

In total, Fantasy's Walt Disney Theatre will feature five production shows. In addition to the three main productions, the state-of-the-art venue will host the welcome show, A Fantasy Come True, emphasizing the importance of making memories onboard, and the farewell show, An Unforgettable Journey, linking the guests' shipboard experiences back to Walt Disney himself. After a seven-day voyage complete with production shows, deck parties, and the only fireworks show at sea, the welcome and farewell shows act as befitting bookends to the overall Disney cruising experience.

Rounding out the exclusives aboard the Disney Fantasy are previously announced features such as Europa, the expanded adult-only area influenced by Italian, French, British, and Irish design to create "a night out in Europe." For the kids, the first Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at sea will act as a retail location for girls to get made up as princesses and boys to get geared up as pirates. And the Animator's Palate restaurant adds the show, Animation Magic, where your own illustrated figure comes to life on screen right beside Disney's famous animated characters.

Plus the now infamous AquaDuck water coaster, the upper deck on Fantasy will sport additional water features such as the family AquaLab with jets, geysers, and bubblers; a family wading pool and fountain; and an adult-only section, dubbed Satellite Falls, with a splash pool and rain curtain shower effect. Following their rekindled fame, the Muppets make their way onboard as well, cast in the latest iteration of the interactive Enchanted Art with the adventure game, The Case of the Stolen Show.

With each passing day, the March 31, 2012 inaugural of this amazing new vessel gets more exciting. The Disney Fantasy when launched will be brimming with exclusive features and entertainment – unique from any other cruise ship at sea.